The shocking scenes at the Christmas market of Magdeburg in Germany after a Saudi Arabian doctor who worked in the vicinity drove his car through the crowd enjoying the festivities, raise huge questions and anxieties. About the impact of refugees and immigrants on the populations they reach. Also about the impact of the same populations and their customs on those who arrive to live in their midst from faraway societies having their own different customs.

While this was being written, the exact motive for the killings was not yet known. They do not seem to have been "inspired" by Islamic jihadism. The killer (who had escaped from Saudi Arabia) always was totally against jihadism and condemned it.

The possibility therefore arises that there could have been mental problems involved. To leave your country and end up living, frequently on your own, in conditions that are very different to those you were used to (by way of friendships and family, food and social customs, climate, religion among others) are all factors that create immense psychic stress on  refugees and immigrants.

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HOPE

For the Catholic Church as a whole, in coming months, a programme of activities is being run around the concept of Hope. It is true that for Catholics, what is meant by "hope" focuses mostly on the concern that what was promised by Christ as a representative and member of the Holy Trinity would be realised. (This is of course a very summarised summary.)

Hope as a desirable quality is not spoken about only in the religious context. It has been also employed in politics. Former US president Obama put it forward as one of his slogans and obtained a huge success with it for it helped to show where he intended to lead the US on becoming President.

Personally, I do not have much confidence in the slogan, at least let's say, in political terms. One could see in it a temptation to let matters slide along in the way they're already doing while  hoping that on their own, they'd soon be changing; this, instead of organizing a determined effort to get reform going. I surely cannot agree with that kind of "hope".

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CAPILLARY

In a small community like ours, political activism needs to also function in  capillary mode, via personal contacts that are carried out actively in real time, preferably face to face. This does not mean that modern internet and other facilities should not be used to the best extent possible, in order to sustain a political party's contacts with its voters.

But (as I see it) personal face to face contacts cannot be totally kept aside. True, they bring with them certain dangers... like strong clientelistic pressures that could lead to corruption. As well as nepotism and cliquism, among other evils.  

Still, a political party needs to keep close to its grassroots, and  its representatives need to regularly meet and interact with their constituents. That politicians can leave such contacts to some customer care office is an illusion. Those who indulge in it end up paying a heavy price.